Hemp-brake.



Nd. 826,014. PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

T. G. BONTA. HEMP BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG-1. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1 a I I A TTOR/VE ks THE NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

No. 826,014. PATENTED JULY 17, 1906. T. G. BONTA. HEMP BRA E;

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1. 19-05.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 J/zmzaa GYBWZM N WITNESSES [NVENTOR ATTORNEYS I I I I I I I I I I l THE NORRIS PETERS cu., wnsnlNa'roN, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

HEMP-BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1906;

Application filed December 1,1905. Serial No. 289,845.

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS G. BONTA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrodsburg, in the county of Mercer and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and use ful Hemp-Brake, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of machines which are generally known as hempbrakes and which are used for removing the woody and other waste material from fibrous stalks and plants, leaving the fibers intact for subsequent use; and the invention has special reference to that class of machines which are generally known as rollerbrakes and in the construction of which crushing-rollers are employed for the purpose of decorticating the fibrous stalks and crushing the same.

Among the objects of the invention are to simplify and improve the construction and operation of this class of machines and to present an improved machine in which crushing- 'rollers shall be combined with reciprocatory whipping or beating devices, whereby the fibrous stalks while still held between the rollers will be subjected to a whipping or beating action which is effective in removing the waste material.

With these and other ends in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the inven tion is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being however, understood, that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations, and modifications within the scope of the invention may be made when desired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention and equipped with two sets of crushing-rollers and related parts. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, parts having been broken away for the purpose of exposing subjacent parts. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view in elevation, partly in section, enlarged, of the bearings at one end of one of the sets of rollers and adj acent parts. Fig. 5 is a similarview showing the parts in a different position.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout by similar characters of reference.

A suitably-constructed frame is provided which has been illustrated as including a pair of sills 1 1, arched side members 2 2, and longitudinal brace-beams 3 3 and 4 4, the side members of said frame being suitably connected at intervals by spacin and connecting members, as 5 5. The ame may be made of any desired dimensions and adapted to support a plurality of sets of rollers and related parts. In the accompanying drawings two sets of rollers and related parts have been shown; but it is to be understood that within the scope of the invention the number of sets of rollers employed may be varied and that such changes as may be necessary in order to accommodate and to transmit motion to additional sets of rollers and related parts are to be considered as being entirely within the scope of the invention.

Each set of rollers is mounted in separate frames 6 6, supfported upon the arched side members 2 2 o the frame, and as the construction is practically identically the same reference-numerals will be applied to the rollers of each set and to their related parts. Each set, then, is composed of two deeply fluted or corrugated crushing-rollers 7 and 8, supported upon shafts 9 and 10. One of the rollers 7 is supported in stationary bearings or boxes 11, while the boxes 12, supporting the shaft 10 of the roller 8, are slidable in ways 13, and between the boxes 11 and 12 are-interposed springs 14, which tend to force the boxes 12 away from the boxes 11, thereby tending to separate the rollers. blocks 15 are supported in the ways 13 adj acent to the boxes 12, and between the latter and the blocks 15 are interposed springs 16, considerably more powerful than the springs 14, the tension of which latter is thus overcome, the springs 14 being normally compressed by the expansive action of the springs 16. Supported in the ways 13 adjacent to the blocks 15 is a cross-bar 17, which is of rectangular shape in cross-section and which extends entirely across the frame of the machine, said cross-bar being provided at one end with a lever or handle 18, whereby it may be turned or adjusted to place it either Slidable edgewise or flatwise in the ways 14 between the blocks 15 and the boxes 19, which are supported at the ends of the ways 13 distant from the boxes 11., supporting the shaft 9 of the roller 7. It will be readily seen that when the cross-bar 17 is disposed flatwise in the ways, as in Fig. 4 of the drawings, it will tend to force the sliding blocks 15, the springs 16, and the boxes 12 in the direction of the boxes 1 1. thus compressing the springs 14 and holding the fluted rollers in mesh with each other. This is what may be termed the operative position of the rollers, which when in this position will readily seize upon any material that may be fed betweenthem through a hopper 20, supported above the rollers. Should the material be bulky, the springs 16 will yield to permit the roller 8 to recede from the roller 7. By changing the position of the lever 18 so as to place the cross-bar 17 on edge the springs 14 will be permitted to expand, forcing the blocks 1.5, the springs 16, and the boxes 12, carrying the roller 8, away from the roller 7, and thus separating the rollers sufficiently to permit material to be withdrawn from between them without the exertion of great force.

Supported at one end. of the sills 1 1 is a suitably-driven main shaft 21, having pinions 22 meshing with spur-wheels 23 upon a counter-shaft 24. Motion is transmitted from the latter by means of a chain 25 and sprockets 26 27 to a shaft 28, carrying sprocket-wheels 29 30, which. are connected by means of chains 31 32 with sprocketwheels 33 34 upon the shafts 9, carrying the rollers 7, which latter are thus positively driven. Motion is transmitted from the roller-carrying shaft 9 to the roller-carrying shaft 10 of each set by means of a chain 35, which is guided over sprockets 36 37 upon the shafts 9 and 10, respectively, and over suitable idlers 38 39, whereby the transmission of motion is properly directed, one of said idlers being preferably supported under tension, so as to keep the transmission-chain taut in the various positions occupied by the roller 8. The sprocket-wheels 33 and 34 are preferably loose upon the roller-carrying shafts 9 and are adapted to be looked upon the latter by means of clutches 40, operable by means of hand-levers 41, whereby the crushing-rollers may be quickly thrown into or out of operation, as may be required.

The sills of the frame are provided with bearings for a pair of rock-shafts 42, upon the ends of which are mounted rack-segments 43 and counterweights 44, which latter serve to counterbalance not only the weight of the racksegments, but also that of beaterframes 45, which are connected with the shafts and extend. upwardly in the direction of the crusher-rollers, terminating within short distances of the latter. Suitablyguided rack-bars 46 engage the rack-segments 43, and said rack-bars are connected, by means of links or pitmen 47, with wristpins or cranks 48 upon the spur-wheels 23, whereby said rack-bars will be reciprocated, so as to impart oscillatory motion to the rockshafts and to the beater-frames connected with the latter.

' Suitably-supported flooring, as 49, is pro Vided for the attendants adjacent to the sets of rollers.

The ends of the sills 1 1 distant from the shaft 21. are provided with bearings for a shaft 50, carrying a roller 51, which serves, in conjunction with a roller 52 upon the shaft 21, to support an endless conveyer or carrier 53, whereby waste material will be conveyed away from the machine.

In the operation of this machine the attendants who are stationed upon the flooring 49 seize the bunches of fibrous stalks that are to be operated upon and feed the same between the crushing-rollers, whereby the stalks are crushed and broken and the woody material separated from the fiber. As the crushed. stalks pass between the rollers they come within the range of action of the oscillatory beaterframes, whereby they are thoroughly whipped or beaten,- this action resulting in detaching all the Waste material and leaving the fibers clean and untangled. When the stalks have been permitted to pass between the rollers for rather more than onehalf their length, the lever 18 is operated to place the cross-bar 17 on edge, thus permit-- ting the springs 14 to expand and to separate the rollers, so that the attendant will be enabled to withdraw the stalks from between the same. The lever 18 is then restored to its former position and the stalks are reversed end for end and once more inserted between the rollers to finish the operation, after which the lever 18 is again manipulated to permit the withdrawal of the fibers. The waste material detached by the heaters will drop upon the endless conveyer 53 and will thereby be carried out of the Way.

This improved machine, as will be seen from the foregoing description, is simple in construction and operation, and it has been proven to be thoroughly efficient for the purposes for which it is intended.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a machine of the class described, a pair of crushing-rollers, stationary bearings for one of the rollers, slidably-supported bearings for the other roller, spring means for forcing the slidable bearings apart from the stationary bearings, and means for positively moving the sliding bearings in the direction of the stationary bearings.

2. In a machine of the class described, a pair of crushing-rollers, stationary bearings for one of the rollers, slidablysupported bearings for the other roller, spring means for forcing the slidable bearings apart from the stationary bearings, and means including springs for positively moving the sliding bear ings in the direction of the stationary bearmgs.

3. In a machine of the class described, a pair of crushing-rollers, means for yieldably forcing one of said rollers in the direction of the other roller, and spring means for forcing the movable roller apart from the stationary roller when it is released from the yieldable forcmg means.

4. In a machine of the class described, a pair vof crushing-rollers, stationary bearings for one of the rollers, slidable bearings for the other roller, springs interposed between the two sets of bearings, slidable blocks adjacent to the slidable bearings, springs interposed between the slidable blocks and the slidable bearings, stationary bearings adjacent to the slidable blocks, a cross-bar of rectangular cross-section interposed between the stationary bearings and the slidable blocks, and

a handle-bar or lever connected with said cross-bar.

5. In a machine of the class described, a frame including arched side members, a plurality of sets of crushing-rollers supported upon said arch members, rock-shafts supported in the frame below the sets of crushing-rollers, beater-frames connected with said rock-shafts and extending in the direction of the sets of crushing-rollers, toothed segments and counterweights upon the rockshafts, rack-bars engaging the segments, means for reciprocating the rack-bars, and

means whereby the rollers and the rack-bars may be simultaneously operated.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature 40 in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS G. BON TA.

Witnesses:

H. R. LAFON, LEsLIE M. RUE. 

